U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit

President Obama will welcome leaders from across the African continent to the Nation’s Capital for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first such event of its kind. This Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President’s trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing regions.

President Obama in August will welcome leaders from across the African continent to the Nation’s Capital for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first such event of its kind. This Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President’s trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing regions. Specifically, the August 4-6 Summit will advance the Administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa and highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people. At the same time, it will highlight the depth and breadth of the United States’ commitment to the African continent, advance our shared priorities and enable discussion of concrete ideas to deepen the partnership. At its core, this Summit is about fostering stronger ties between the United States and Africa.

The theme of the Summit is "Investing in the Next Generation." Focusing on the next generation is at the core of a government’s responsibility and work, and this Summit is an opportunity to discuss ways of stimulating growth, unlocking opportunities, and creating an enabling environment for the next generation.

Africa Leaders Summit Events

For a complete list of Official White House Events, please click here.

Schedule of Summit Signature Events August 4-6, 2014

Friday, August 1

8:30 am - 10:00 am

Faith Works

The “Faith Works: Honoring the Contributions of the Faith Community to Peace and Prosperity in Africa” Signature Event will be the first official event of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit and will take place on the morning of August 1. The session will bring together a diverse cross-section of religious leaders and faith-based organizations, U.S. Government officials, and African leaders to recognize the significant role the faith community plays in advancing peace, prosperity, and development throughout Africa. The event is also an opportunity for the faith community to provide input into the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Across Africa, faith-based organizations have helped to lift up vulnerable populations and contribute to improving lives. From building peace and promoting human rights, to improving agriculture, from boosting literacy rates, to providing urgently needed relief and assistance in the most dangerous places, the faith community is helping to invest in the next generation.

Monday, August 4

10:15 am - 12:00 pm

Civil Society Forum

The "Civil Society Forum" Signature Event will be convened on the morning of August 4 by Secretary of State Kerry and will bring together U.S. and African government leaders, members of African and U.S. civil society and the diaspora, and private sector leaders. The Forum will focus on leveraging the knowledge and experience of citizens and civil society to solve the key challenges of our time, and will highlight the importance of civic space in order to spur social entrepreneurship, civic innovation and development. The Forum will consist of three components: a set of thematic Group Consultations on key issues; a Keynote Address; and a Global Town Hall with African Leaders moderated by Secretary Kerry. In addition, interested parties will have the opportunity to submit short video questions via YouTube and Twitter in advance of the Forum.

The "Investing in Women, Peace, and Prosperity" Signature Event will recognize that African women’s leadership and meaningful participation at all levels — in government, the economy, and civil society — accelerates economic development, improves health and educational indicators, advances democratic development, and improves the safety and security of all of their citizens. The discussion will underscore the importance of supporting African women’s leadership and meaningful participation across all sectors of society. It will specifically highlight promising practices and reinforce U.S.-African partnerships in expanding economic opportunity for women, promoting civic and political leadership for women and girls, and increasing women’s meaningful roles in conflict prevention, peace-building, and security decision-making.

The Health event will bring together U.S. and African government leaders and non-governmental organizations to discuss the great successes and commitments brought about by U.S.-African partnerships. The event will highlight Global health security, Reaching an AIDS-Free Generation; Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths; and Utilizing science and research to accelerate positive health outcomes. The goal of the session is for African and U.S. leaders to reaffirm our individual and collective commitments to investing in health and Africa’s future, discuss innovative models to address human resource and financing challenges related to these four key health themes, share successes and identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration going forward.

The "Resilience and Food Security in a Changing Climate" Signature Event will highlight three critical and interrelated areas in the U.S-Africa relationship: food security, climate change, and resilience. These issues are of particular concern for African nations, where the majority of rural populations rely on rain-fed agriculture. More productive agricultural systems will help transform lives, communities, and nations by generating income and by freeing resources for rural populations to participate in additional sectors of the economy. However, progress in this regard is threatened by the worsening impacts of climate change, including more frequent and extreme weather events and their negative impacts on agriculture and other rural livelihoods. Climate shocks, as well as shocks caused by other environmental, social and economic disturbances, undercut household and community stability and resilience, and erode hard-won development gains. The event will highlight how climate change and variability are impacting food security in Africa, and how key U.S. initiatives align with the commitments of African leaders to bolster the resilience of people, households, communities and systems.

The "Combating Wildlife Trafficking" Signature Event will be an opportunity for African leaders to join together and share their ideas on how to best counter the poaching threat and inspire African youth to safeguard their natural heritage for future generations. The United States seeks African perspectives on wildlife trafficking, poaching, and protection of natural resources to inform future efforts in this arena. By including Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellows in the event, we hope to mobilize the next generation of African leaders in wildlife conservation through national, regional, and community-based solutions

Tuesday, August 5

7:30 am - 3:15 pm

U.S.-Africa Business Forum

U.S. Department of Commerce and Bloomberg Philanthropies will co-host the first U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on strengthening trade and financial ties between the United States and Africa. President Obama will participate in the Business Forum along with Secretary Pritzker and Mayor Bloomberg, as will other senior U.S. government officials. The Forum will intensify efforts to strengthen trade and financial ties between the United States and Africa and seek to create partnerships that will promote trade, accelerate job growth, and encourage investment. The Forum will focus on U.S. private sector engagement in Africa in the areas of finance and capital investment; infrastructure; power and energy; agriculture; consumer goods; and information and communication technology. African leaders will engage with business executives from both sides of the Atlantic to engage in conversations about successes and solutions to increase trade with and invest in Africa. President Obama will participate in the conversation with CEOs and government leaders from the United States and Africa

Wednesday, August 6

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Spousal Event on Gender and Women and Girls Education

On August 6, First Lady Michelle Obama, in partnership with former First Lady Laura Bush and the Bush Institute, will host a day-long spouses symposium at the Kennedy Center focused on the impact of investments in education, health, and public-private partnerships